3.24.2010

Five Things I Love: March Edition

The SINGULAR TELEVISION-RELATED THING I'm rewarding my good writing behavior with. I so so sososobadly want to be besties with Simon Pegg.

(3) Under Great White Northern Lights

The White Stripes' documentary and live album. I've been going through a secret (not-so-secret now) Jack White phase ever since It Might Get Loud. Which is another excellent documentary for music people! Just so you know.

Next week, I'm leaving for six days in NYC. I'm visiting my publishing house and in-person meeting my incredible editor, Julie Strauss-Gabel, for the first time.

(Can I say that again?)

I'M VISITING MY PUBLISHING HOUSE AND MEETING MY EDITOR.

(Forgive me. One rarely gets to say things like that in life.)

I'm excited to say hello to everyone at Dutton and to thank them for treating Anna and the French Kiss with such kindness and respect. It takes a LOT of people to get a book published! I am only one teeny tiny little peon in the process. I can't wait to meet the people who are ACTUALLY MAKING IT HAPPEN.

So. I have a question for you, dearest readers.

The trip is longer than I'd originally intended, because I'm staying a few extra days to see Thom Yorke's temporary band, Atoms for Peace.

(Can I say that again?)

I'M SEEING THOM YORKE!!!!!

(For new readers, Thom is both my grouchiest Celebrity Boyfriend and my longest term Celebrity Boyfriend. We go way back. Like, I loved him before it was legal for him to love me back.)

♥♥♥

TYPICAL PHONE CONVERSATION WITH MY BOYFRIEND

ME: Hello, Love. Let's get married.

THOM: You're already married. And I'm in a long-term relationship with the mother of my children. She's a Dante scholar. She's brilliant.

ME: But I looooooove you.

THOM: Bugger off.

ME: I still looooooove you.

THOM: Fine. I love you, too.

ME: *kisses telephone*

THOM: Stop calling me at work. *click*

I've been to the city and done the touristy things before. (Well. Not all of them, because some touristy things are boring.) So I'm looking for WEIRD STUFF to do. And YUMMY STUFF to eat! My only other extracurricular plans so far are:

Unless their hot chocolate is overrated. Is it? Have you tried it? I'll be staying with friends in Brooklyn and popping in and out of Manhattan. Anything you recommend to me in my comments — in either city — is very, very welcome! Thank you!

Ooh, I was just in NYC! My favorite new place to eat there is Cafe Lalo. And the frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity was def. NOT overrated (but the food is not so great).Will comment again if I think of something else. Have fun!

Lilie — Ooo! Cafe Lalo was on my list for my LAST trip, and I never made it! (I have a slightly embarrassing soft spot for You've Got Mail, and there's a scene set there.) Thanks for the reminder. I'm so happy to hear it's good! And thank you for the warning about the food at Serendipity. NOTED.

Sadly, I can't help. I've only been to NYC twice. Once was for a day when I was 10, and my parents were in charge. The other was a layover at JFK (not sure that even counts) But I can't wait to hear all about your trip. SO EXCITED FOR YOU!

Also, I have you to thank because I read your post on how you decided to write your story in Paris even though you hadn't spent a lot of time there and it totally gave me the courage to write this story in York, England even though I haven't spent a lot of time there.

Frozen hot chocolate was my favorite part about this post! But meeting your editor? Man, that's awesome too! It's a toss up... normally, I would say the hot chocolate since it's edible, but in this case I think the editor wins.

Haha! I love your conversation with Thom Yorke. The frozen hot chocolate is NOT overrated. However, I suggest you do the burton exhibit and serendipity on a weekday as they are both CRAZY crowded. If the weather is nice you should walk over the brooklyn bridge! And if you're into sustainable, local food, you should try Northern Spy Co. Also, try and track down some declicious street food: the calexico food cart or scnitzel and things or waffles and dinges (I think they are all on twitter). Sorry, I live in NYC and I REALLY love food. I could go on forever.

My friend just got back from NY (she is trying to pick between going to law school at NYU or Columbia). I asked her what her highlights were and she said... 1) The Milk Bar - Banana Cake, she said it made her forget all other desserts. 2) Levain Bakery - If you like cookies 3) High Line Park

I am so excited for her & that I will have a friend in NY so I can visit!!!

One thing I have loved this month is Orange Blossoms, actually any citrus tree in bloom.

I'm seconding both High Line Park and Brooklyn Bridge (if it's a nice day, go to the ice cream shop under the bridge on the Brooklyn side). There's also the pizza joint, Grimaldi's, over there, which always has a line and is always tasty.

For a funky bar experience, I recommend Apotheke (http://www.yelp.com/biz/apotheke-new-york). From the outside, it looks like a random Chinese takeaway, except perhaps the people hanging around outside and the pimpin' '70s dude lounging in the doorway. Inside is a classy steampunk bar with chemists are bartenders. And it's in the heart of Chinatown, so easy to get a great, cheap dinner beforehand! But go on a Tues/Wed night if you can, to avoid crowded craziness.

Also, the link I gave you goes to yelp, which is AMAZING for helping you find things. After going to Paris and craving macarons, nothing easier than to type in my work address and "macaron" and find two places right nearby. That place can give you better advice about awesome places to eat than I can. Another handy website is hopstop.com, which does an even better job than the MTA's stop of letting you know how to get from point A to point B, and what crazy things the trains like doing on weekends.

If you find yourself on the Upper West Side, I recommend swinging by Westsider Books, which is everything a bookstore should be; and can't go wrong with eating at Artie's Deli. And it's also a good place to start a Central Park wander.

Another thumbs up for Serendipity frozen hot chocolate, but yeah, eat before, and be prepared for an enormously long wait and don't go on a rainy/cold day lest you have to wait outside.

And this is a handy site for info on getting theater tickets on the cheap (even cheaper than TKTS): http://www.talkinbroadway.com/allthatchat/index.php

That's it off the top of my head, but really, lots of wandering will often yield the best results in a NYC trip.

Hi, there! I'm Steph, and I wrote ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS, LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR, and ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER. I also edited the romantic holiday anthology MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME and the upcoming SUMMER DAYS & SUMMER NIGHTS.